Petrovac Boat Tours: Day Cruises on the Budva Riviera and Bay of Kotor

The two kinds of boat trip sold around Petrovac

Treat the phrase boat tour as two products. The first is a short coastal outing from the riviera, the sort of trip listed among boat rides and cruises around Petrovac and Budva. The second is an all-day cruise that spends nine hours on the water and on land, covering the open sea, the bay and Kotor itself. Decide which you want before you compare anything, because they answer different questions about your day.

Booking platforms group Petrovac cruises and boat tours into one browsable list, which is the quickest way to see what is running on your dates. Use it to check the length of each option and whether it leaves from Petrovac or from Budva. A nine-hour day is a commitment; a two-hour ride is an afternoon.

The full-day route from Budva to Žanjice Beach and the Blue Cave

The long cruise begins in Budva rather than Petrovac harbour, so budget a transfer at the start of the morning and another back to Petrovac at the end. From Budva the boat heads for Žanjice Beach, passing Jaz and Ploče on the open sea. That stretch is the coastal half of the day, before the scenery changes to the enclosed bay.

At Žanjice you can either swim from the beach or take the optional boat ride into the Blue Cave; the listing names the cave boat ride as an excluded extra and the rest of the day can run without it. Do not board assuming the cave trip is included, and decide on the day whether to pay for it separately.

Mamula Island, Herceg Novi and the Verige Strait

The boat then passes Mamula Island, which the itinerary presents as a look-and-learn stop rather than a landing. Next comes Herceg Novi, where you get free time to walk the historic centre or swim. Both are passage stops on the way into the bay, so treat them as short calls rather than afternoons ashore.

Once inside the bay the route runs past Porto Novi marina and through the Verige Strait towards Our Lady of the Rocks, with Perast visible on the return leg. This is the scenic core of the trip and the reason the day runs so long. The narrows at Verige are the point where the open-sea crossing gives way to sheltered water.

Our Lady of the Rocks: the church and museum stop

Our Lady of the Rocks is a stop on the island itself, with a visit to the church and museum. Entry to the church and museum is not covered by the cruise ticket, so budget for it in euros separately. No entry price or opening hours are given, so check them when you book or on the day.

How long you get ashore depends on the operator's schedule rather than anything published in advance, so keep your visit to the church and museum tight if you also want a look at the waterline. The boat continues past Perast rather than landing there on this itinerary. If Perast is the main thing you want, plan a separate road day.

Kotor old town and the coach back

The day includes a stroll through Kotor's old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, taking in its narrow streets, squares and historic landmarks. Kotor old town charges a tourist tax that the cruise price does not include, so keep some euros set aside for it. Arriving by sea means you walk in from the waterfront rather than parking outside the walls, which is the pleasant part of doing Kotor this way.

After Kotor the boat returns through the Bay of Kotor and the final leg back to Budva is by bus, so the day finishes in Budva rather than Petrovac. That single detail changes the shape of your evening: you need to get yourself back to Petrovac from Budva. Check the drop-off point when you book and sort your onward transfer before the day starts.

How long the day takes and where you join it

The full-day cruise is listed at nine hours, which is the only duration to apply to this itinerary; shorter riviera rides run to their own timetables. The meeting arrangements are shown at the point of booking rather than in the description, and the listing currently shows the activity as not available, so start by checking whether it is running for your dates at all. If it is not, the shorter tours in the Petrovac and Budva lists are the alternatives.

Confirm departure times, operating dates and timetables with the operator when you book, since the listing does not publish them. Apply the same caution to the shorter local rides, whose calendars depend on the individual operator.

What the cruise price does and does not include

The inclusions are the boat legs, the stops, and the bus back to Budva. The exclusions are the ones that catch people out: church and museum entry on Our Lady of the Rocks, the Kotor old town tourist tax, food and drink on board, and the optional Blue Cave boat ride. Add those four in euros to whatever you pay upfront and you have a realistic day budget.

Bring water and something to eat unless you plan to buy on board, because food and drink are not part of the ticket. Carry some cash in euros for the island entry and the Kotor tax.

What to bring and who the trip suits

Pack a swimsuit and sunscreen: the day includes swimming at Žanjice or in the Blue Cave and free time in the water at Herceg Novi. The operator lists the trip as suitable for single travellers, couples, families and friends, and as child-friendly. It is a long seated day for small children, so weigh nine hours on a boat before you book for a toddler.

The cruise is marked as not accessible for people with disabilities and pets are not allowed, so plan around those limits if they apply to your group. Cancellation is free up to 48 hours before departure, which gives you some room to change your mind. Book inside that window only when you are sure of your dates.

Booking a shorter boat tour from Petrovac

For a half-day or an afternoon, the shorter boat rides listed around Petrovac and Budva are the practical choice, and they leave you free to spend the evening in Petrovac itself. Pair one with a walk along the Petrovac promenade or an hour at the Kastio fortress, and you have a full day without a coach transfer at either end.

If you want a land-based half-day instead, Reževići Monastery sits a short drive south along the coast and makes an easy pairing with a morning on the water. Check the monastery's dress expectations before you go, since it is an active religious site rather than a ruin.

After a boat trip, dinner in Petrovac is the obvious close to the day, and the best restaurants in Petrovac fill quickly in high season. Book ahead if you are a group, or eat early if you are coming off an afternoon sailing.

Petrovac to Kotor by sea versus by road

By sea, Kotor is the final stop of a nine-hour day that also takes in Žanjice, Mamula, Herceg Novi and Our Lady of the Rocks, and you arrive on foot from the water. By road you go direct and set your own hours, which suits anyone who wants a proper block of time inside the walls rather than a stroll. The sea version offers more scenery; the road version gives you more control.

If Kotor old town is your priority, the drive gives you the flexibility to arrive early or late and to add a stop on the way. If the boat legs, the island and the bay narrows are the point, take the cruise and accept a shorter time in Kotor. Either way, confirm your transfer at both ends before the day.

Which Petrovac boat trip should you book?

Book the full-day cruise if you want the bay, the island and Kotor in one sweep and can live with a Budva start and a Budva finish. Book a shorter riviera ride if you would rather keep the evening in Petrovac and skip the long transfers. Check the running dates and the all-in total at checkout before you commit.